The team behind the Boeing CST-100 Starliner has received promising news regarding the spacecraft’s return to Earth. Recently, ground tests on the spacecraft’s thrusters were completed. These thrusters have been the reason for the Starliner remaining in orbit since early June, and both Boeing and NASA were waiting for the outcomes of these tests to start planning its homecoming.
An update shared last week announced, “Ground testing of a Starliner Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico is complete, and teams are now focusing on data reviews.” The purpose of these tests was to investigate the degradation of the thrusters, which will provide insight into why certain thrusters malfunctioned during flight and how reactivating them could affect the overall Crew Flight Test.
When officials referred to “de-selected,” they indicated that certain thrusters had ceased functioning. Prior to and during the Starliner launch, helium tanks that control these thrusters experienced leaks, resulting in several delays. During a press conference last month, officials noted that the spacecraft is equipped with 70 hours’ worth of helium, despite only needing seven hours. While they indicated that the craft could return at any moment if necessary, they also acknowledged that they are not yet prepared for that return.
In a previous update, NASA and Boeing mentioned a potential return flight by the end of this month. However, the timeline has since become less definitive. The latest information states, “Boeing and NASA engineers will proceed with thruster disassembly and inspections, and advance preparations for flight rationale to support readiness reviews for Starliner’s safe return to Earth with commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams in the coming weeks.”